samba - Jan 2011 - Accessing files via symlink, does client see a difference?

I have an ancient device, several actually, called an Audiotron that I 
use Samba for to access media files.

Now, I realize these are old and finicky devices.

For ease of management, I keep my media files separated into 4.5GB 
directories (easy to burn to DVD) and then
I have a script that goes into each of those directories and creates one 
big directory full of symlinks pointing into each individual directory.

I'm sure my configuration is correct (follow symlinks = yes, wide links 
= yes in my services) as modern programs such as WinAmp and VLC have no 
problems accessing the directory full of symlinks (about 2500 links).

However, the Audiotron has issues.  If I try and play a file, sometimes 
it play, sometimes it won't.  If I try and play it again immediately, 
sometimes it will go, sometimes I'll have to select play several times 
before it'll play.

If I create individual services for each of my media directories and 
have the Audiotron catalog them individually, they all work fine.

So, my question is, does the client see any difference in accessing a 
file via SAMBA (3.5.6) if it's a symlink vs a real file?  I wouldn't 
think it would be able to, but the Audiotron certainly doesn't like them 
very well, yet Winamp has no issues.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Set "log level" parameter higher ("10" is recommended) value
and check the logs
whether there are some differences or not both in successed case and
failed case.

2011/1/3 Samba user <Samba.99.spammy69 at
spamgourmet.com>:
> I have an ancient device, several actually, called an Audiotron that I use
> Samba for to access media files.
>
> Now, I realize these are old and finicky devices.
>
> For ease of management, I keep my media files separated into 4.5GB
> directories (easy to burn to DVD) and then
> I have a script that goes into each of those directories and creates one
big
> directory full of symlinks pointing into each individual directory.
>
> I'm sure my configuration is correct (follow symlinks = yes, wide links
> yes in my services) as modern programs such as WinAmp and VLC have no
> problems accessing the directory full of symlinks (about 2500 links).
>
> However, the Audiotron has issues. ?If I try and play a file, sometimes it
> play, sometimes it won't. ?If I try and play it again immediately,
sometimes
> it will go, sometimes I'll have to select play several times before
it'll
> play.
>
> If I create individual services for each of my media directories and have
> the Audiotron catalog them individually, they all work fine.
>
> So, my question is, does the client see any difference in accessing a file
> via SAMBA (3.5.6) if it's a symlink vs a real file? ?I wouldn't
think it
> would be able to, but the Audiotron certainly doesn't like them very
well,
> yet Winamp has no issues.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts.